Method and composition for pretreating fabric for direct printing

Abstract

The present invention provides a composition and method for pretreating a natural, synthetic or blended fabric so that a colored image can be printed directly thereon by a printer. The composition of the present invention comprises an ink receptor, a surfactant, a flame retardant, a fluorescent whitening agent, and water. The method of the present invention comprises pretreating a fabric using a composition comprising an ink receptor, a surfactant, a flame retardant, a fluorescent whitening agent, and water, and drying the fabric thereafter.

1 . A pretreatment composition for pretreating a fabric for use in direct printing comprising: 
 about 5 to about 40 weight % of an ink receptor,    about 10 to about 90 weight % of water,    about 0.5 to about 4 weight % of a surfactant,    about 0.1 to about 5 weight % of a fluorescent whitening agent, and    about 0.5 to about 10 weight % of a flame retardant.    
   
   
       2 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said fabric is natural fabric, synthetic fabric, or blended fabric.  
   
   
       3 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said ink receptor is a polyacrylic resin, styrene-acrylic copolymer, a mixture of polyacrylic resins, cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone, cross-linked polyacrylic acid sodium salt, cationic mistrials or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 3 , wherein said ink receptor is a polyacrylic resin.  
   
   
       5 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said water is softened tap water, filtered water, distilled water, deionized water or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 5 , wherein said water is softened tap water.  
   
   
       7 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said surfactant is an imidazoline quaternary compound, a quaternary ammonium compound, a quaternary ammonium salt, fatty amine, amidoamine, a condensation product of C9-C30 alcohols with sugar or starch polymers, an alkylene oxide ester of fatty acids, an alkylene oxide diester of fatty acids, an alkylene oxide ether of fatty alcohols, alkoyl isethionate, alkylether sulfate, alkyl imino acetate, carboxylate, sulfonate, sulfate, phosphate, phosphonate, iminodialkanoate, aminoalkanoate, betaine or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 7 , wherein said surfactant is a quaternary ammonium salt or a mixture of quaternary ammonium salts.  
   
   
       9 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said fluorescent whitening agent is a thiophene bis (benzoxazolyl), ethylene bis-benzoxazolyl, a substituted derivative, or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 9 , wherein said fluorescent whitening agent is a bis benzoxazole or a mixture of bis benzoxazoles.  
   
   
       11 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said flame retardant is a halogen-based compound, phosphate-based compound, phosphorus-based compound, inorganic compound or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       12 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 11 , wherein said flame retardant is a phosphate based compound or a mixture of phosphate based compounds.  
   
   
       13 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said ink receptor is present in an amount ranging from about 5 weight % to about 20 weight % with respect to the total weight of said pretreatment composition.  
   
   
       14 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said water is present in an amount ranging from about 60 weight % to about 90 weight % with respect to the total weight of said pretreatment composition.  
   
   
       15 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said surfactant is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 weight % to about 2 weight % with respect to the total weight of said pretreatment composition.  
   
   
       16 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said fluorescent whitening agent is present in an amount ranging from about 1 weight % to about 4 weight % with respect to the total weight of said pretreatment composition.  
   
   
       17 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said flame retardant is present in an amount ranging from about 1 weight % to about 5 weight % with respect to the total weight of said pretreatment composition.  
   
   
       18 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said pretreatment has a viscosity of between about 4 to about 250 cps.  
   
   
       19 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , wherein said pretreatment has a pH of between about 3 to about 5.  
   
   
       20 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , further comprising about 0.1 weight % to about 2 weight % of a thickening agent with respect to the total weight of said pretreatment composition.  
   
   
       21 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 20 , wherein said thickening agent is natural starch, British gum, crystal gum, natural and etherified locust bean gums, cellulose, methyl cellulose, hydroxyl ethyl cellulose, hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, gum tragacanth, polyacrylic acid sodium salt, sodium alginate or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       22 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 21 , wherein said thickening agent is hydroxyl ethyl cellulose.  
   
   
       23 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 1 , further comprising an additive.  
   
   
       24 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 23 , wherein said additive is a humectant, a wetting agent, a dispersion stabilizer, a pigment, a binder, an anti-curling agents or a mixture thereof.  
   
   
       25 . The pretreatment composition of  claim 23 , wherein said additive is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 weight % to about 5.0 weight % with respect to the total weight of the pretreatment composition.  
   
   
       26 . A method of applying a pretreatment composition to a fabric for use in direct printing comprising: 
 applying a pretreatment composition comprising about 5 weight % to about 40 weight % of an ink receptor, about 10 weight % to about 90 weight % of water, about 0.5 weight % to about 4 weight % of a surfactant, about 0.1 weight % to about 5 weight % of a fluorescent whitening agent, and about 0.1 weight % to about 10 weight % of a flame retardant to a fabric, and    drying said fabric thereafter.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said step of applying said pretreatment composition to said fabric is performed by dipping said fabric into said pretreatment composition.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said step of applying said pretreatment composition to said fabric is performed by rolling said pretreatment composition directly onto said fabric or extending from a circular or flat perforated screen onto said fabric.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said step of applying said pretreatment composition to said fabric is performed by coating said pretreatment composition onto said fabric.  
   
   
       30 . A method of directly printing onto a pretreated fabric comprising: 
 applying a pretreatment composition comprising about 5 weight % to about 40 weight % of an ink receptor, about 10 weight % to about 90 weight % of water, about 0.5 weight % to about 4 weight % of a surfactant, about 0.1 weight % to about 5 weight % of a fluorescent whitening agent, and about 0.1 weight % to about 10 weight % of a flame retardant to a fabric,    drying said fabric thereafter,    printing directly onto said pretreated fabric, and    heat-setting said pretreated fabric with a print for about 1 to 60 seconds at about 350OF to about 420° F.